Guillain-Barré Syndrome outbreak associated with Zika virus infection in French Polynesia: a case-control study
This is the first study providing evidence for Zika virus infection causing Guillain-Barré syndrome. Because Zika virus is spreading rapidly across the Americas, at risk countries need to prepare for adequate intensive care beds capacity to manage patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
May 1, 2016
Figure: Weekly cases of suspected Zika virus infections and Guillain-Barré syndrome in French Polynesia between October, 2013, and April, 2014
The Zika Virus: What You Need to Know
Here are a few answers to some questions that many Americans may have about the Zika disease and who it could impact.
February 26, 2016
Zika virus: Inside Uganda’s forest where the disease originates
Only two cases of the virus have been confirmed in Uganda in the past seven decades. This is because the types of mosquitoes that would transmit the virus to humans don’t often come into contact with the general population, says Dr Julius Lutwama, a leading virologist at the Uganda Virus Research Institute. “The Aedes we have, Aedes aegypti formosus, normally does not bite humans. And then we have other [mosquitoes] which live in the forests and prefer to bite at dusk and dawn,” Dr Lutwama adds. This is in contrast to Latin America, where a different sub species, Aedes aegypti aegypti, is spreading the Zika virus.
Open drug discovery for the Zika virus
We provide some suggestions of what might be possible and propose an open drug discovery effort that mobilizes global science efforts and provides leadership, which thus far has been lacking. We also provide a listing of potential resources and molecules that could be prioritized for testing as in vitro assays for ZIKV are developed. We propose also that in order to incentivize drug discovery, a neglected disease priority review voucher should be available to those who successfully develop an FDA approved treatment. Learning from the response to the ZIKV, the approaches to drug discovery used and the success and failures will be critical for future infectious disease outbreaks.
February 10, 2016
Open drug discovery for the Zika virus – F1000Research
Elsevier’s Zika Virus Resource Center
Elsevier’s resources span scientific and medical journals and textbooks, educational products and a variety of other content. We have also asked our clinicians to provide original commentary. Our goal is to provide these resources for free as the Zika crisis continues. If you have any question or suggestions, we welcome you to leave them in the comment section.
Zika Virus Resource Center
Free access to medical research, online tools and expert advice on the Zika virus
